Week Calendar

Join us weekly for rhymes, songs, bounces, stories, and a little playtime. For caregivers and babies ages 0 - 18 months.

Preschoolers and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, music, and learn school readiness skills. Afterwards, we will enjoy free-play together.

Toddlers and their caregivers can enjoy introductory stories, songs, music, and movement! For ages 18 months to 36 months.

Babies, toddlers, and their caregivers can join us on Tuesdays for rhymes, songs, lap bounces, and a story.

This program is recommended for children from birth to 24 months of age.

Join us for rhymes, songs, bounces, stories, and a little playtime. For caregivers and babies ages 0 - 18 months.

Children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can engage in open play, come and go activities at South. 

Babies and their caregivers can join Miss Jennifer on Tuesdays for rhymes, songs, bounces, and a story followed by a short playtime.

Staff from the Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families are ready to provide one-on-one job search and resume assistance to job seekers.

Listen to silly stories, sing songs, dance to music, and make art! Join Miss Emily for Family Storytime every Wednesday morning at 10:15 AM. Designed for children ages 0–5, this storytime welcomes all ages to join in the fun.

Join Miss Donna for this fun filled story time! Together we will enjoy stories, songs, and more, all selected to engage your active toddler. Ages 18 months to 3 years old.

Children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers can join us Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. for a 30-minute storytime with stories, music, and fun activities!

Enjoy a fun storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming! 

In celebration of National Taco Day on October 4th, join us for activities, and a scavenger hunt in the children's area featuring the beloved book, “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin. All ages.

Get creative at North Side! Drop-in and make a work of art using perler beads. We will iron your design to make it permanent for you to take home!

Join us for a special visit from Mister K’s Clubhouse! Enjoy music, fun, and learning with the cast of this educational children’s show filmed in  the Midwest.

TAG is artist Marlú Abarca's (they/she) second solo exhibition. Inspired by growing up Los Angeles, Abarca's collection of graffiti highlights the dualities of life as a young Latine. 

Join yoga instructor, Lily Allen-Duenas, for chair yoga at the Forest Avenue Library! No experience needed! No yoga mats or props are needed. Just bring yourself!

Join us in the Forest Meeting Room where building blocks will be available for open play! Use your imagination to build your ideas or use the STEM-challenge prompts and building guides to bring ideas to life. Drop-in anytime between 12-5pm.

The Des Moines Public Library is partnering with area organizations to connect people with community resources. Community advocates will provide information about community resources like meal sites and shelters.

This conversation club is both for native speakers and those wanting to learn Russian. Topics of conversation are meant to be light. Get to know other members of your community, or assist those wanting to learn Russian.

Spend a couple hours with other crafters and work on your knit, crochet, or needle craft projects. Please bring your own supplies and projects with you. This program happens the first Saturday of the month.

Join other women who are practicing their English in this casual conversation group. We will chat, share coffee, and learn together in this group moderated by a Forest Avenue Library staff member.

Need help with a phone, laptop, or tablet, or another electronic device? Come by the Central Library at 2PM on Thursdays and our staff will work with you to figure things out. This is a drop-in, first-come first-served service.

Whether you're an anime fan or curious to explore, everyone is invited to join the Anime Watch Party. Enjoy popcorn while watching a few episodes from a different popular anime series each month.

Watercolor Painting with ASAP Teaching Artist Laura Todd

Music, movement, games, and activities - everyone’s invited! Join the fun at an ASAP Dance Party and dance your heart out. Snack provided for all participants. 

October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.
 

Join us Mondays in September at Forest for Drama Games with ASAP Teaching Artist Saige Mayfield.

Join us for a Nintendo Switch Party! We will have games like Mario Kart 8 & Super Mario Bros. Ultimate. Feel free to bring your own Switch or share the library’s controllers.

Tweens and teens ages 10-14 can join us for a book club on the last Tuesday of the month.

Learn about light and shadows while you build a mini theater and design your own shadow puppets.

Earn volunteer hours by assisting with library programs and projects! Teens ages 12 to 18 can drop in any open Wednesday and volunteer for one hour.

Join sewing instructor Kaitlyn Munro on Wednesdays in October for a five-week Beginners Sewing program focused on hand-sewing basics. This program is for students in grades 4–8.

Get creative at North Side! Drop-in on Wednesdays to enjoy our large cart of art supplies.

Join ASAP to create amazing art projects with thread, yarn, and wool! Explore techniques like wet felting, embroidery, knitting, and patch-making while crafting one-of-a-kind creations.

Join us at the Central Library for a special visit from Mister K’s Clubhouse! Enjoy a lively performance, get an exclusive sneak peek at Season 4, and meet Mister K in person.

Visit with an ARL TheraPet at North Side! The ARL TheraPets program offers the joy of therapy animals to facilities throughout central Iowa with visits from our certified volunteer/pet teams.

Learn how to use the Bambu X-1 Carbon filament 3D printer and the Formlabs Form 3 resin 3D printer.  Participants will learn how to use the free software to prepare their 3D files for printing at the library.

Do you like all things K-pop? Come to the Central Library every month and bring your photocards to trade, invite your friends or meet and hang out with other fans! Enjoy snacks, other activities, and listening to music.

Stop by Franklin Ave Library and learn how to use DMPL’s digital resources like Libby, Consumer Reports, Kanopy, and newspapers.

Stop by Franklin Ave Library to explore DMPL’s digital resources, including Libby, Consumer Reports, Kanopy, and newspapers.

Join us for a calming evening of watercolor with Lisa Christensen! Registration is required as supplies are limited.

Join us for our evening Family Storytime at 6:30 p.m.! Kids and caregivers can join us for fun songs, stories, and acivities. You can even wear your jammies!  

Best for ages 6 and under, but all are welcome!

Join the Des Moines Public Library & Latinx Immigrants of Iowa to make paper flowers and other decorations for a Day of the Dead ofrenda, which will be on display at the Central Library from October 28 through November 2.

Join us at Forest Avenue Library for Card Club. We will play trick-taking card games such as 500, Euchre, Hearts, Spades, Tiến lên and others.

Spend an empowering hour focused on financial literacy for women.

Join the Des Moines Public Library & Latinx Immigrants of Iowa to make paper flowers and other decorations for a Day of the Dead ofrenda, which will be on display at the Central Library from October 28 through November 2.

Art Club will occur on the first Thursday of each month. It will feature picture books and a related art project each month. We will learn about artists, art concepts, and topics that will give us inspiration to make our own art.